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I just completed evaluating the Designio Leather Case and the ClearTouch Anti-Glare Screen Protector for the HTC Advantage. 

The Advantage comes with a screen protector and a nice leather case, so why would you spend money on replacements?  Read on after the break.

The case came in this nice box.  It was wrapped in a protective cloth and had styrofoam inside the case to keep it form-fitting.

The leather case that comes included with the Advantage is well made, but when closed is exposed on three sides.

Closed Case View

Also, the leather is very thick and has a pebbled, nonskid surface, that makes it difficult to slide into a pants pocket.  I wanted a case that would protect the Advantage, allow access to all the buttons and ports, yet be thinner and smoother so it could fit in my pants pocket better.  You’ll notice that the BoxWave Designio case covers more surface area.  It’s made of a supple, smooth black leather that has a professional appearance.  The Designio also has a magnetic clasp to keep it closed, whereas the original case has nothing to keep it closed.

Open Case View

Above left is the original case.  There are three clips holding the Advantage firmly.  A magnet holds the keyboard.  The above right shows the Boxwave case.  It protects the facade of the case, yet allows access to all the controls.  The magnet on the right side is not as effective as that of the original case.  It’s smaller and positioned in such a way that the keyboard doesn’t sit squarely in the middle of the case.  You can see it hangs over the lip just a bit. 

Personally, I don’t use the keyboard.  It is too large for thumb typing and too small for conventional typing.  It’s a square peg.  I prefer ZoomBoard, a soft keyboard.  Not carrying the keyboard will make the package thinner.  If you do use the keyboard, both cases will work well, but the original case will have a better grip on the keyboard due to it’s larger, stronger magnet.  But keep in mind that you must keep the magnet away from credit cards and hard drives.

Side View With Keyboard – Original case on left, Boxwave on right.  The height of the original is 1 1/4″, the BoxWave 1 1/8″.

Side View without keyboard – Original case on left, BoxWave on right.  The height of the original is 1″, the BoxWave 15/16″.  Additionally, you will notice that the BoxWave Designio case provides a cleaner, straighter, smoother profile, whereas the leather on the original case appears wavy and not as professional looking. 

Case Summary

The Designio case allows access to all the ports and buttons, and doesn’t interfere in use.  It’s slightly thinner than the original case and has a much nicer appearance.  I’m very happy with the form fitting design, smooth texture and quality leather.  It is far better than the original case in all ways except for the magnet that holds the keyboard.  Again, I don’t use the keyboard, so less magnet is better.  The Designio case is available at www.Boxwave.com for the Advantage and many other brands.  This case costs $29.95 and is well worth the investment, especially if you meet with customers.  The original case is light brown, picks up dirt easily and is fading.  It has the look of a worn baseball mitt, which is nice for baseball mitts, but does not give a professional appearance.

Screen Protector

HTC ships the Advantage with a screen protector.  After using it for several months I have concluded that it’s subpar.  It has a rubbery feel, is difficult to write on, it’s too small for the screen, and has a slightly milky white appearance.  Outdoor use exposes the screen protector’s biggest weakness.  It really is difficult to see the screen.

Contents

BoxWave supplied me with their ClearTouch Anti-Glare screen protector.  What a joy.  It comes with a micro fiber cleaning cloth and an applicator card.  You remove the plastic film that covers the “sticky” side and gently lay it on the screen.  You can peel it off and reapply it as many times as necessary.  Once you get the hand of how to apply it, it’s very simple.  I found success by lining up one end of the protector and pushing it against the edge of the screen as in the photo below.

Application / Ease of Use

Once the edge of the protector is flush with the edge of the screen, you just lay the rest down.  Use the applicator card to smooth out the bubbles. 

I had dropped the screen protector onto the floor while applying it.  When it was on the screen it was very dirty.  This protector can be removed and washed in water and light soap.  I did that and gently fanned the protector in the air until it contained just a few droplets of water.  I then reapplied it with the small amount of moisture still on it.  I was very happy with the results.

Screen Protector Summary

The ClearTouch is rather firm, especially compared to the flimsy included screen protector.  This makes it far easier to handle.  The ClearTouch covers the screen well, far better than the included protector.  The result is a very smooth finish.  It is easy to write on and provides nearly no resistance to a stylus.  Further, it repels fingerprints.  By comparison, the included protector seemed to attract fingerprints.  The ClearTouch did pick up dust, but only on the sticky side when I dropped it onto the floor.  The other side is quite effective at repelling dust.

I found it to be far easier to read outdoors.  I travel for work and spend lots of time in my car, so this is very important for me.

The ClearTouch Anti-Glare Screen Protector sells for $12.95 or $27.95 for three.  This is a high quality protector and should last a long time.  It is superior to the included protector and a joy to use.  I’ve used many screen protectors in the last 8 years, and this is the best.  I highly recommend it. 

Designio Case Pros and Cons

Pros

-Smooth, supple black leather

-Professional appearance

-Form fit.  Has cutouts for ports and buttons

-Easy to put in pocket

-Secure magnetic snap closure

Cons

-The keyboard magnet not as good as that in the original case

ClearTouch Anti-Glare Screen Protector Pros and Cons

Pros

-High quality

-Fingerprint resistant

-Form fit

-Smooth feel makes it easy to write on with stylus

-Anti Glare improves outdoor viewing

-Washable and reusable

Cons

-A bit difficult to apply if you’ve never done it before, though it comes with instructions

-If you bend it hard it will retain the bend

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